An A-Team Christmas
by lostsheep3
Summary: Just a little Christmas one-shot. F/M relationship (non-graphic)


Snow fell soundlessly outside of the cabin in the woods adding another layer to the trees which already wore a thick coat of pristine white. As far as the eye could see the only colors visible were the stark white and black of a winter forest. But as stark as it was, it was equally peaceful. No cars had been seen for days, nor were any likely to be seen for many more days.

The cabin sat completely surrounded by trees, a worn path the only entrance. Currently, that path would be invisible to anyone who didn't know exactly where it was. And the inhabitants of that cabin preferred it that way.

The interior of the cabin was a startling contrast to the exterior. Inside it was completely decorated for Christmas. A large Christmas tree, decorated in the type of homemade ornaments normally found in homes with small children sat in front of a picture window. Stockings bearing the name of each inhabitant lined the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room. Green garland and red bows adorned each doorway leading off of the main room of the cabin. A large fireplace provided all the heat the unorthodox family could need, and the scent of cinnamon, cloves and apples mingled with that of the pine tree, letting all who lived there know that Christmas was just around the corner.

A tall, rangy man in a Captain Bellybuster's t-shirt stood in the kitchen, stirring a huge pot of spiced cider, while he hummed Christmas carols. In the dining room, a large dark-skinned man sporting a Mohawk and feathered earrings worked on an impossibly small piece of electronics, parts of which were spread all over the dining table. In the living room, one chair was occupied by the white-haired leader of this group, the cigar held in one hand adding another layer of warm scent to the cabin. And on the couch, the blond who was responsible for them being in the woods dozed fitfully.

Murdock left the pot simmering on the stove and walked into the living room as he heard Face stirring. He knelt down next to the couch and raised the back of his hand to the blond's forehead, testing the other man's temperature.

"How is he?" Hannibal asked, looking up from the book in his lap as Murdock knelt down.

"His fever broke, but he's still warmer than I'd like."

"I still can't believe he didn't tell any of us he wasn't feeling good before we came up here. Especially you, Murdock."

"Yeah, well, he knew how much we wanted to get away this year. How much we all wanted one week when we didn't have to worry about anyone finding us, either Decker, or anyone looking for help." Murdock softly stroked Face's cheek as he spoke. "He just didn't want anything to ruin our vacation."

Hannibal sighed at that. "So he'd rather just come out here and suffer."

"He told me he hadn't realized how bad it was. It wasn't that bad at first, then it was." Murdock still hadn't moved from his spot. He still stroked Face's cheek and forehead, soothing the lines that creased the normally smooth skin as Face mumbled again in his sleep. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the still-damp forehead, resting his own forehead against the blond's for a minute.

BA had been watching silently from the dining room table. "He'll be okay, crazyman."

Murdock looked up and over at BA, giving the large man a small smile. "I know, just hate seein' him like this."

"Don't worry, won't be long before he's tryin' ta keep up with ya a'gin." BA grinned at the pilot.

"Yeah." Murdock said, grinning at the thought. "yeah."

"Murdock…" Face moaned from the couch, still half out of it with the remnants of his fever.

Murdock's head snapped up from the comic book he had in his lap. He set the book aside and shifted out of the lotus position he was in, to kneel next to Face. "I'm right here, Facey."

"Murdock…" The tone of voice this time was different, more relaxed.

"It's okay, sleep Face," Murdock said, leaning over to brush a tender kiss against Face's lips.

Face opened his eyes, meeting the warm gaze of his love. "Been asleep too long…" The blond was still lethargic, but he smiled at the pilot.

"Sh…you need sleep. 's okay."

"Stay here?"

"Where else would I go, huh?" The brunet drawled a bit as his fingers were grabbed by the blond, the grip surprisingly firm, despite the recent illness.

"Don't."

"I'm not," Murdock reassured Face, settling once again to lean against the couch, fingers wrapped in Face's grip, eyes focused on the man who had stolen his heart.

Murdock woke slowly, reaching with his free hand to rub the back of his neck where a crick had taken up residence since he decided to sleep with his head on the seat of the couch. Feeling eyes on him he turned slowly, in the dim light provided by the fire he was only able to barely see the smile that Face was giving him. "How're ya feelin'?

"Better, still not ready to take on Decker and his crew, but not like I'm gonna collapse, either." Face drew his legs up underneath him and motioned for Murdock to join him.

Murdock uncurled himself from where he was sitting and rose slowly, his joints stiff from the awkward position.

"You could've gone to bed ya know," Face said, smiling at his pilot.

"Could've…didn't wanna move you though," Murdock answered softly, moving over to add another couple of logs to the fire. He watched for a few minutes as it built back up from a few smoldering embers into a warm crackle.

Once he was satisfied that the fire was going to cooperate, Murdock settled onto the end of the couch and stretched out, holding out a hand to Face. Face chuckled, but turned and shifted himself around to settle between the pilot's legs and rest against his chest.

The only sounds in the room, for what seemed to the two men like hours, were the soft crackle of the fire and the gentle tick of the clock that rested on the mantelpiece. Silence ruled until it was broken by a soft sigh as Face buried his head in Murdock's chest and snuggled in deeper.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinkin'," Face answered softly.

"About?"

"Life."

"Face?" Murdock's voice held a hint of worry as he asked that one question.

"Just thinkin' about how different my life is from what I expected when I was a kid."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Murdock answered on a sigh of his own.

"I wouldn't trade it, ya know?" Face said, after a few more minutes of silence. "Well, maybe the part where we're being chased by the Army all the time. But not this…not us."

Murdock wrapped the blond closer at those words. "Me either. Me either, Babe." The brunet brushed a kiss into Face's hair, then rested his cheek against the soft honey-gold. "Can't even really regret that…if life hadn't been so hard…I'm not sure we'd even be together."

"I know," Face answered, swallowing hard. His voice took on a dreamlike quality as he continued, "Just this time of the year makes me think about it more. Growing up…I had this whole life mapped out. I was going to be a stockbroker, living in Malibu with a wife and a couple of kids. The girl would look like her Mom, the boy like me. We'd have a house that overlooked the beach, and a dog that would be the kid's best friend. All the things I wanted growing up in the orphanage. It was the American dream."

Murdock's heart constricted as he listened to his blonde's plans. He struggled not to show any outward signs of the worry that gripped him as he thought about what Face was saying.

"But then the war happened, I had to go, to try to give back some of what I was given as I grew up." Face tilted his head up from where it rested on Murdock's chest, he could hear the tattoo from his friend's heart and knew that the other man was trying not to panic. Reaching up with his right hand, he cupped Murdock's cheek, brushing his thumb against the rough edge of the pilot's jaw. "Then you happened. I never even looked at another guy, never wanted to. But the minute you smiled at me, my heart was yours. It took me a long time to realize it, even longer to accept it, but I really was yours from that first smile."

Murdock closed his eyes as the younger man spoke, leaning his cheek into the gentle touch that he could never seem to get enough of. Turning his head he brushed a warm kiss against the palm of Face's hand, his breathing ragged as the words registered. "I…I don't know what to say," Murdock stammered nervously.

"You don't have to say anything, HM," Face whispered.

Murdock nodded and kissed Face's palm again, then tilted his head to brush a kiss against the blonde's forehead.

When Hannibal woke on Christmas morning, he turned toward the window and grinned at the sight of a fresh blanket of snow sparkling in the sun, thinking how much fun his 'kids' would have later in the day. He knew that Murdock had been looking forward to building a Christmas snowman – even though they'd all pointed out that he didn't have to wait for the actual holiday Murdock was insistent, as only he could be.

Wandering out from the bedroom he stopped in the kitchen to start the coffee before he headed to his traditional seat in the living room. He stopped in his tracks though, at the sight that greeted him. Face was lying stretched out on the couch, Murdock's arms wrapped around the younger man as they both slept.

Hannibal turned at the sound of another person behind him. "Sh…don't wanna wake them," the colonel said to BA, as the black man came out of his room looking barely awake.

BA stopped at Hannibal's warning, looking over to the couch with a smile playing over his dark features. "I ain't sure how they did it, but Face's managed to tame the wild one, an' the fool's managed to wrap Face around his little finger."

Hannibal snorted a soft laugh, "Never would have thought it possible, but you're right. You are absolutely right, BA." Hannibal watched the sleeping pair for another few minutes with BA at his shoulder. "Merry Christmas, kids," he whispered, heart-glad that they found each other, that they each had someone to balance them out, and that they found love in the crazy, mixed-up world that they were thrust into. He couldn't ask for a better present than knowing that even though life turned out differently than any of them planned on, his team was happy.


End file.
